Will only Huawei and Xiaomi be left in the vertical small foldable phone market in 2025?

Will only Huawei and Xiaomi be left in the vertical small foldable phone market in 2025?The foldable phone market is gradually maturing, but the fate of horizontal large foldable phones and vertical small foldable phones is vastly different. The former has already been recognized by the industry, while the latter has been met with indifference, with only a few brands persisting, while others have even chosen to pause development

Will only Huawei and Xiaomi be left in the vertical small foldable phone market in 2025?

The foldable phone market is gradually maturing, but the fate of horizontal large foldable phones and vertical small foldable phones is vastly different. The former has already been recognized by the industry, while the latter has been met with indifference, with only a few brands persisting, while others have even chosen to pause development. Recently, well-known tipster "Digital Chat Station" released a shocking piece of news, stating that next year only Huawei and Xiaomi may continue to produce vertical small foldable phones, while the other three major domestic brands, vivo, Honor, and OPPO, have all suspended their projects.

This news is not without foundation. As early as the beginning of this year, renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo pointed out that vivo and OPPO had already stopped the development of vertical small foldable phones. The fact has also proven this, as neither brand launched any related products this year.

Huawei persists with multiple generations of updates for a simple reason: its vertical foldable phone sales are very good. Moreover, its form factor is distinct from the common vertical small foldable phones on the market. Coupled with the added value of the Huawei brand, it naturally enjoys greater market favor.

Xiaomi, on the other hand, decided to continue its efforts due to the strong sales of its first vertical foldable phone, MIX Flip. Xiaomi has treated this phone as a normal straight-screen flagship, with both configuration and daily experience on par with flagship phones. Xiaomi has even unreservedly expressed its desire to say goodbye to the "cute but useless" label, aiming to give small foldable phones a flagship-level experience. From the current perspective, the market performance of Xiaomi MIX Flip proves its direction is correct, making its continued efforts next year a natural progression.

vivo, OPPO, and Honor, the three brands, may need to rethink their approach to vertical small foldable phones. If sales are poor, costs cannot be reduced, and there are no profits, then what is the point of continuing?

From the current situation, the vertical small foldable phone market seems to be heading towards differentiation. Some brands choose to persist and attract consumers through unique gameplay. Others choose to pause, waiting for the market to mature before making another attempt.

What will the situation be like in 2025? Let's wait and see.